Salam Watandar’s latest interviews with 23 young artists in Afghanistan reveal that they are facing significant challenges, including a lack of financial support, social neglect, limited access to work facilities, and difficulty in selling their artwork.
The interview includes 13 female and 10 male artists from various provinces. Twelve artists work in painting, seven in drawing, and four in calligraphy. The young artists stated that due to these challenges, they have resorted to showcasing their work online and marketing their art through digital platforms.
Gulsom, a 21-year-old from Kabul who started painting four years ago, says that limited access to work resources and the presence of social and cultural restrictions have reduced the impact of her artistic activities. She adds, “The space for creativity and creating art has become severely restricted. Social and cultural limitations, limited access to raw materials, and lack of support for artists have diminished my activities.”
Samir, an 18-year-old painter from Kabul, also mentions that government-imposed restrictions have made it difficult to depict the challenges and untold stories of society. He shares, “They came to my gallery and told me I shouldn’t have live animal portraits because, according to them, it’s forbidden. They even closed my gallery for two weeks and banned me from teaching art to girls.”
The lack of support for artists and the lack of interest in purchasing art from the public has demotivated many young artists in Afghanistan.
Wazir Mohammad, an 18-year-old from Panjshir, says that due to the absence of a market, many of his calligraphy works have been lost. “The biggest challenge we face is economic hardship and the lack of orders or projects. The absence of galleries and suitable markets for sales is also a major issue,” he explained.
Tamana, a painter from Logar, says, “The biggest challenge is the lack of financial support, a market for sales, and the lack of social acceptance of art.”
Despite these challenges, the young artists have turned to online marketing to promote and sell their works.
Khatera, a painter from Kabul who has been painting for eight years, says she uses online platforms to find buyers for her art. “The online space is a huge opportunity. Artists can showcase their works and find their audience,” she says.
Ahmad Muslim, an 18-year-old from Logar who uses social media for promoting his drawings and calligraphy, agrees: “Online platforms can bring our works to the public, help us find new audiences, and even create a source of income.”
Art experts stress the importance of supporting artists, warning that failing to do so will lead to the loss of Afghanistan’s art and history.
Masoud Azizi, a painting and drawing instructor, states, “Without art, creativity decreases, relationships become shallow, and individuals may struggle with processing their emotions. In the end, a society without art becomes more vulnerable socially and psychologically.”
In response, Khobaib Ghofran, spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture of the de-facto government, says that the ministry has made significant efforts to support the growth of art and address the challenges faced by artists. He adds, “Our effort is to coordinate with institutions working in the art sector and resolve the artists’ problems. We have organized continuous exhibitions.”
While young artists continue to face challenges, many students have turned to art in the past three years due to restrictions on education for girls, further increasing the importance of supporting the art community in Afghanistan.
